Actors Who Refused Big Roles In Tarantino Movies
By Christopher Ramos
Imagine, if you will, a world where Leonardo DiCaprio played Col. Hans Landa. You can't, can you? It's practically impossible to see anyone other than Christoph Waltz portraying the bingo-loving Jew Hunter. But according to MTV, Tarantino originally considered giving DiCaprio the part before choosing to go with someone who could speak German.
Tarantino also thought about giving the role of Bridget von Hammersmark to Nastassja Kinski, and he considered both Simon Pegg and Tim Roth as possibilities for the part of Lt. Archie Hicox. However, for one reason or another, those actors all fell by the wayside, and the roles went to Diane Kruger and Michael Fassbender, respectively.
But here's the weirdest casting tidbit of all. Once upon a time, Tarantino wanted Adam Sandler for the role of Sgt. Donny Donowitz. At first glance, the idea seems ridiculous, but despite movies like Jack and Jill, Sandler really is a skilled actor who can do good work if he puts his mind to it. And if you've seen Punch-Drunk Love, you know he can certainly smash a restroom.
Hoping Sandler would trade his tire iron for a baseball bat, Tarantino made the character a Bostonian because, as he explained to Howard Stern, Sandler does a great Boston accent. But alas, Sandler dashed Tarantino's dreams when he signed on to do Funny People. "But that's a terrific movie," Tarantino admitted, "so it actually all worked out." Instead, the part of the Bear Jew went to Eli Roth, which is just as well. If Adam Sandler can't beat up Bob Barker, then he probably isn't ready for the Third Reich just yet.
